Unions reject government’s latest offer

The South African government's efforts to end a three week strike was dealt another crippling blow after labour unions rejected their latest offer. The strike has left the country's essential services in chaos

"Minister of Public Service and Administration Richard Baloyi started communicating the offer to public before we even went to our members," National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) spokesman Sizwe Phamla told Sapa.

Cosatu leaders, he said, should not have gone to media and discuss the offer as "they would have never been given enough time to explain the entire thing".

The union had received text messages from its members saying they rejected the government’s new wage offer, without knowing its details.

"Some leaders used media reports and made pronouncements."

The government was offering a 7.5 percent wage increase and a R800 monthly housing allowance.

Thursday saw the strike entering its fifteenth day. Phamla added that the government had also committed to setting up a housing scheme for its workers as part of the deal.

Phamla said as a result of the "flawed process" of informing members, union leaders were given until Friday to go to all regions and "thoroughly" explain what government was offering. "We were naive in giving ourselves one day [to decide]."

He said the government had explained it did not have enough money to implement what the workers wanted, but gave "timelines and deadlines" on how it would implement the proposed housing scheme."Tomorrow [Thursday] we are dispatching a team which will thoroughly explain the offer, so that our members can know what they are rejecting.

"The fundamental issue is the one of housing ownership, when we got to PSCBC our demand was R2000 [housing allowance], we came down to R1000, which means that R1000 was already a compromise."

20,000 to gatherIt was expected that 20,000 would gather in Johannesburg and march to local government departments in protest.

Phamla said during Wednesday’s Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council meeting negotiators looked at "fundamental issues".

"A strike creates its own demands. We have to ensure that when members get what they want they are protected [from salary deductions and disciplinary action]."

SA Democratic Teacher’s Union (SADTU) spokeswoman Nomusa Cembi said "our members have looked at the detailed offer and they rejected it. But we will continue to engage with government."

She said Sadtu members still wanted to get their original 8.6 percent wage increase demand and R1000 monthly housing allowance. Sapa